In Its Own Way
by the midnight minstrel
Summary: Anyone that got to know college freshman Fujioka Haruhi would never guess that she would be one to try 'friends-with-benefits', and even less would guess that junior Otori Kyoya would be the one to suggest it. "It's a very intriguing notion, in its own way." eventual lemons and limes, characters will be a little OOC.
1. Please Take a Seat

In Its Own Way

* * *

_Winter_

Otori Kyoya is a man known for many things.

His most infamous and valuable trait was surely his incomparable brilliance, which he could apply to every scenario one could think of. Academically, his grades at Ouran University are unrivaled. Socially, he is able to ease his way into any conversation and charm anything he wants out of his peers. His second most valuable trait was that he was one of the most good-looking men on campus, and he didn't deny it either. In fact, he used it like a superpower, and he loved it. He learned to harness the power of his attractiveness, combined with his bewitching skills and mannerisms turn into a potent combination to exploit those around him.

He wouldn't call himself sadistic, since he doesn't normally indulge in sadistic activity. No, besides his close friends and family, he simply didn't care about the actions of those around him. Unless it benefit him in some way he really wouldn't bother with people outside of his closely-knit social circle. Many people disapprove of this degenerate nature, but he simply calls it "survival of the fittest".

One of the only few people who understood his ways was Suou Tamaki, his best friend and business partner, but he was never really the type to ask about the nature of his ways, and so Kyoya often didn't question his.

But there would always be the rare occasion in which he would ask why his best friend was such an overwhelming dumb ass, and this was one of them.

"My lady, this is Kyoya!" Tamaki said enthusiastically, raising his voice slightly to ensure that he's heard atmospheric classical music of their favorite lounge, using his hand to gesture to Kyoya to a young woman by his side. "And he will be your designated escort this evening."

Tamaki is never allowed to drop clients on him at the last moment.

Kyoya examined the woman thoroughly, as he does with all the ladies Tamaki sends his way. She was of a lean and tight build, standing stoutly but confidently at the collar of Tamaki's collarbone. 'She works out...' he quickly assessed. She had a perky chest (which he easily ruled as fake), tight stomach, and a narrow waist, every curve of her body being hugged flatteringly by a navy slip dress and an expensive-looking creamy pea coat. 'Comes from wealthy family, upper-middle class at the least...' Her face was pretty and tanned and accented with light makeup, and her hair was pulled back into an elegant and easy high ponytail. 'She isn't one to waste time, but she's a bit of a perfectionist as well...'

Kyoya smiled a million-dollar smile at the girl, who slightly swooned. "My lady, please take a seat," he said ever-so charmingly, gesturing to the empty bar stool in front of him. "Let's get to know each other before heading out, shall we?"

"Of course, my good sir," the girl said, feigning manners similar to his own to lightly mock the situation, even curtsying for effect.

As she found her seat before Kyoya, Tamaki bowed to the two. "I hope you both have a wonderful evening, and I assure that you are in capable hands, dear Clarissa."

The girl, now identified as Clarissa, flirtatiously smiled at the blonde prince. "Thanks again, Tamaki-kun," she purred his name, but Tamaki wasn't swayed by her subtle sweetness, since he backed away from the two without another word. Clarissa sighed and shook her head, then looked back at Kyoya with the same dark and seemingly hungry eyes that were just on his best friend.

He held out his hand and made a gentle reach for hers. Once it had it, he brought it to his lips and tenderly pressed them against the back of her hand. "Miss Clarissa, by your leave."

Clarissa nodded at his formality. "So, Kyoya-kun," she began, propping her head in her palm. "Tell me about yourself."

Kyoya put both his elbows on the table and leaned closer to her, a technique that suggests his interest in the conversation. "There isn't too much to tell, honestly. I attend Ouran University with Tamaki and my two other friends, Mori and Honey, and we're all a part of this club." He noticed that she made a face when he said 'Honey', so he explained further. "Honey is his nickname. He's a pretty cute character once you meet him, and he's very sweet. His surname, Haninozuka, is where we get the 'Honey' part from."

Clarissa's fine eyebrow arched. "There's only four of you in the Escort Club?"

"Yes, that's right. It's fairly new, since it only began two years ago, and we only allow the finest young men into our club. We're working on getting two future freshmen involved now." Kyoya pushed his glasses up at the nose piece. "We don't often advertise our services, as they happen to speak for themselves, so I hope you will consider the Escort Club again in the future."

"I see," she mused, slightly feigning interest as her eyes wandered to the exposed skin of his chest. "Fascinating stuff..."

He lowered his head to level his face with hers, smiling as she turned bright pink. "It is, isn't it? For fear of further boring you, I would like to go over the guide lines of this arrangement once more, assuming Tamaki has already explained them."

She waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. "Go right ahead, I fear I've forgotten some of them already."

Kyoya chuckled. "Tamaki has a tendency to distract our clients."

"As do you, Kyoya-kun. I'll do my best not to have wandering eyes."

"Then I'll be as blunt as possible, my lady. While our primary goal is to keep all our clients as happy as possible, we do have a few distinct rules. First, this is a formal escort service. We don't offer sex or anything of a sexual nature during our escort sessions. That would make us a prostitution ring, and Tamaki our pimp. God knows what would happen if we gave that man the title 'pimp'." After Clarissa heartily laughed, he continued. "Second, we do not play the 'fake boyfriend' card. We're escorts, not actors, and it isn't in the best nature for anyone to make any attempts at making others jealous. Third, the men of this club pride ourselves at being 'zero-tolerance', so we won't indulge in alcohol or drugs with our clients. That will impair our judgment and make us anything but gentlemen."

Clarissa nodded in approval. "Noble. I like that."

"Now that I've given you a brief history of the Ouran University Escort Club," Kyoya grinned and leaned in further, "I'd like to know what sort of event I'll be escorting you to this evening."

She smiled rather knowingly, as if she were keeping a secret from the boy she liked on the playground. "My sister's art show downtown."

He raised a brow. "Art show?" He glanced at his simple attire of dark jeans and his blood-red v-neck sweater, wondering if his light brown overcoat and cream scarf would be enough for an event like that. "Aren't I a little under dressed for something like that? Should I go back to my apartment and change?"

_One of the many reasons why Tamaki should never drop clients on me at the last minute._

She waved her hand again. "Nah, you look fine. If anything, I bet you and I will be kind of overdressed. This is one of those alternative art shows in some questionable abandoned supply house; loud techno music, black light effect and tiny flaming shots. I'd be surprised if the art wasn't mostly done in graffiti. My sister is really into that kind of scene, and her art is being displayed and is finally good enough to be auctioned. She's always on my case about going to her shows alone, so I thought I would bring a date to this important one."

He inwardly cringed at the word 'date', but kept his mouth shut, standing up and offering his hand to her. "Well, we best not keep her and her public waiting. My lady."

Clarissa smirked and took his hand confidently. Her hands were slightly clammy to touch, similar to many of his other clients. "Lead the way, my good man."

Kyoya obediently complied and escorted her out of the lounge, waving goodbye to Tamaki on his way out.

As they walked the brisk winter streets, mindlessly chattering about Clarissa's interests and studies, Kyoya huffed inwardly.

_How can I lead the way? I have no idea where I'm going. Stupid girl._

He smiled and nodded as she kept talking, just as he does with all his other clients.

xxx

Hikaru Hitachiin groaned loudly and threw his head back in annoyance.

His twin, Kaoru, was seated on the couch of their shared bedroom, upside down and listlessly flipping through a magazine. "Did that guy email you again?" Kaoru asked, not even glancing at his brother's direction.

He rubbed his face in his hands and groaned loudly once more, affirming his brother's assumption.

"He's a tenacious bastard, that Suou guy," Kaoru sighed, flipping another page without reading it. "That's the fifth email in the past four days."

Hikaru shut his laptop and threw himself backwards on the pillows of their bed. He glanced at the clock at their bedside table, which read 22:23 pm. Their room was large and dimly lit by a standing lamp beside the couch and somewhat chilly from the slightly cracked windows that brought in the late winter breeze. "The 'Escort Club' thing is really starting to bug me. Why does he want us to join so badly anyway?"

"Because we're a pair of sexy twins and he wants to kidnap us and sell our kidneys on the Black Market. Well, maybe your kidneys, since I'm prettier."

Hikaru laughed as the pillow he threw at his brother smacked the magazine in his face. At the twins' bedroom doorway, they heard a girlish giggle that made their hearts jump.

"Haruhi!" The twin's synchronized greeting was brimming with delight.

"Hey guys," Haruhi grinned, removing her soft pink overcoat and throwing it in Hikaru's general direction, who caught it with ease. She held up a small plastic grocery bag and winked to the twins. "I brought some snacks from work today. Misuzu made too much for a small party that was being hosted at the pension, so he gave me some to take home."

Kaoru glanced at the bedside clock as Hikaru dove for the snacks that Haruhi rested on the glass coffee table in the middle of their room. A quick glance at her work uniform, a white long sleeve button-up and a pair of non-flattering formal black pants, made the light bulb in his head click on. "Are you just now getting done with work?" Kaoru noted disapprovingly, but she waved off his question as if it were hanging in front of her face.

"Yeah, yeah, it isn't a big deal though. We're on holiday and I did most of my studying during my breaks at work."

The calmer twin smiled fondly at her reply. In all the years the twins have known Haruhi, she hasn't done much to change her studious and casually indifferent outlook on hard work. There wasn't much else to be expected from the only middle-class student at their prestigious private academy: her scholarship clearly specified that she must remain at the top of the class to continue attendance. Kaoru admired that about Haruhi, along with almost every other trait he could think of when it came to their close friend.

"Won't your dad be wondering where you are?" Hikaru asked with a mouth full of crackers and cheese. "Not that we don't enjoy your company, and the free snacks you tend to bring over."

She simply shrugged and picked up a cube of cheese with her fingers. "He's working late again, so he told me I could hang out here for a while so I'm not home by myself." With a quick look at the twins, she slightly frowned, noticing their bare chests and sweatpants. "If that's alright with you guys. You're in your pajamas already."

Both twins scoffed in such perfect timing and tone that Haruhi giggled again.

"You know our sleep schedule better than anyone, Fujioka." Kaoru stated, reaching for a cracker and breaking it in half between his thumb and his forefinger.

"Yeah," the other twin said, stuffing his face a little more aggressively than his brother and female best friend. "You're often the one to wake us up in the middle of class. We're a pair of night owls, my brother and I, and that won't change just because our clothes call for the occasion."

Haruhi chucked a piece of cheese at Hikaru and grinned. "Leave it to me to save both your asses in the middle of class."

At the sound of her curse, Hikaru began to laugh as Kaoru feigned a dizziness in the same way a damsel would when faced with danger. "Such naughty language! And from our class' top student! Fujioka Haruhi, I am _shocked_."

"You'll live," she stated simply, casually walking over to their bed and opening the laptop. "So, this 'Suou Tamaki' guy emailed you again?"

"Yep." The twins said in sync.

"About this 'Escort Club' once we get into Ouran U.?"

"Yep."

"Claiming that..." Her eyes glanced over the latest email quickly. "'...you two will be valuable assets to the club, since you don't have many other extra curricular activities that you are interested in at Ouran...'?"

"Yeeep."

Haruhi glared at the email. "Isn't it a little suspicious that this guy knows what extra curricular activities you two aren't interested in? I mean, how could he have possibly known that? Unless he somehow saw your applications."

Kaoru shrugged. "Read the last email from a guy named 'Otori Kyoya'."

Doing as she was told, she skimmed through their inbox until she found the name, with an email header that simply read 'Ouran University Escort Club - Expectations of an Escort'. Haruhi cringed slightly as she read the carefully articulated words of the exceedingly creepy 'Otori Kyoya', ignoring the twins as they continued on their late-night snack rampage.

"'Escort Activities, Section 1, paragraph 2...'" Haruhi read aloud, a small quiver in her voice from the eerie email before her large brown eyes. "'First-year escorts are prohibited from engaging in any other campus club or group that would define them as a member, and must remain exclusive only to the Ouran University Escort Club. Exceptions are negotiable, but not recommended...' That doesn't seem fair at all!" She reeled back in an offended way. "And not only that, it seems like this guy is threatening you both! 'Exceptions are negotiable, but not recommended'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Haruhi's eyes widened as she felt one of the twins against her back, putting their arms around her in an affectionate embrace. "Relax, Haruhi," said the voice over her shoulder that she recognized as Hikaru. Now that she thought about it, he was the only twin bold enough to hug her from behind. And the one that smelled like the most cheese and sausage. "It's not like we were planning on joining that cult anyway. Our first year at college is meant for us learning the ropes and having a good time. We didn't want to spend all our time at the arms of the women who 'formally request our company'."

She sighed in relief and patted Hikaru's head.

"Besides," said Kaoru, who was still on the floor and eating another cube of cheese, "The only way we would even think about joining is if that numskull Tamaki could win at our favorite game..."

The twins smiled mischievously and Haruhi rolled her eyes. "Your classic 'Which One is Hikaru? Game', right?" She wiggled her fingers as she said the name of the game, mystifying it for her amusement.

Hikaru poked at her cheek playfully and grinned. "Yes, indeed, and it's your job to stay the reigning champion! Don't tell him your secret at winning," he moved in closer to her ear and dropped his voice, "And if he tries to seduce you, just give up a little hand action to distract him and you'll be home free."

Kaoru laughed aloud as Haruhi pushed the playful twin off of her back, sending him tumbling off the bed.

xxx

A bit of character introduction, but not really much going on so far. Please forgive me if the characters are a bit OOC.  
Let me know if you enjoyed it, and please leave a review!

the midnight minstrel


	2. Let Us Give You a Tour

_Spring_

As the bell rang overhead, Haruhi sighed with relief and closed her notebook. She wasn't particularly good at literature or poetry, nor was she very interested in the art of words, and would often dread when the teachers would find themselves in a poetic mood once the cherry blossom trees began to appear.

"Enjoy your weekend, everyone!" exclaimed her lovely and overly dramatic literature teacher, Miss Yue. "Please take time out of your assignments to fully enjoy the new life that is blooming all around you! Take pride in your youth!"

Haruhi quickly picked up her things and began walking out of the room, shaking her head as her classmates zealously gathered around their wistful teacher.

"Yes, sensei!"

"We're going to enjoy ourselves to the best of our abilities!"

"Will you come to karaoke with my friends and I?"

She probably couldn't handle this level of flittering gaiety at university, but she had a sinking feeling that she would encounter it anyway.

Just as Haruhi was about to leave through the doorway, two tall and unidentified figures grabbed at both her arms and quickly lifted her off her feet.

"Abduction-"

"-complete!"

"Wait, what?! Stop!"

Her devilish best friends began dragging her through the lavish halls of the academy, in the opposite direction of her next class no less. She began to squirm and struggle in their grasp, exclaiming their names and demanding release, drawing the attention of their peers walking through the halls as well.

"You're coming with us, Fujioka!" The twin at her left said, whose voice she recognized as Kaoru.

"We're blowing this place and taking a private tour of Ouran U. for the rest of the day!" The twin at her right proclaimed proudly, pumping his free fist in the air for effect.

Haruhi stared at Hikaru quizzically, taking note of their casual attire instead of their academy uniforms. "O-Ouran? What are you two talking about? I didn't schedule a campus visit today!"

"Nor did you schedule a visit at any time this spring!"

"So we decided that you should come with us today, since we'll be attending Ouran together anyway!"

The girl gaped at the two brothers she was sandwiched between. "H-How did you know that? Have you two been talking to my dad again?!"

The exchanged look of satisfaction between the two boys was answer enough.

"I should have known..."

After a while, Haruhi suspected that her wriggling for freedom was futile, and to make an attempt to ease herself of any more embarrassment, she began walking upright and at the same pace as the twins. (They were wise enough to keep their arms firmly hooked with hers, lest she make any surprise attempts to escape.) The three made their way through the lavish halls of their academy and descended the main stairway, strolling past the main office and continuing out the regal front doors. Haruhi looked back skeptically.

"Shouldn't I call my dad? Or at least tell the office that I'm leaving with you guys? And what if we miss anything at the school? Did you check the events or-"

Kaoru patted her head, silencing her like a snooze button on an alarm clock. "Relax, Haruhi! Exams are over and we don't have anything major planned until graduation. We've already gotten permission from your dad and the academy to make a campus visit today. If I'm right, we'll have our tour from one of the students!"

She looked at him in mild surprise, impressed with Kaoru's careful thinking. At least, she assumed a lot of the planning that went into today's activities were brought together and organized by the more mature twin.

Parked at the front of their academy was one of the Hitachiin family's many limousines, the driver patiently holding the door open for all his passengers.

The twins gently pushed Haruhi in first, smiling as she uncharacteristically squeaked in surprise. "Thank you, driver." They said politely, then piled in themselves.

"Of course, young masters. Miss Fujioka." The old driver said, bowing at the twins and then shutting the car door.

The driver made his way through the remainder of the academy's car pool lane, making Haruhi sigh in defeat.

_Hopefully this visit will work out fine, and that this dread feeling in my chest will go away._

Through the tinted windows, Haruhi could look up and see the towering cherry blossom trees overhead, their blossoming buds turning to a pleasant hue of pink. The spring breeze rustled the nearly bare branches and the sun was shining bright through the trees.

She didn't often ponder over anxious feelings, seeing as though she rarely got them, but she couldn't help but wonder why she felt she would rather be in her literature class, listening to her flamboyant teacher praise the spring sunlight, than visit Ouran University.

xxx

"Good morning, Kyoya!" Tamaki greeted him warmly, a little winded after picking up his pace to catch up with him.

"I suppose it is." The speckled man stated simply, keeping his gaze forward.

The two young men strolled through the elegant cobblestone walkways of the university campus, the brisk air pushing the hair out of their faces and eyes. Tamaki spread his arms wide like a bird and took a deep breath in, feeling the subtle chill of the air fill his lungs and cleanse his body.

"Ah, it is mornings like this that make a gentleman truly appreciate the beauty of a blossoming spring! Not unlike our young lives being portrayed right before our eyes, our full handsomeness having yet come to fruition-"

"Don't you have a lecture you need to attend?" Kyoya interjected.

"Not until noon."

"Then I suggest you get moving. You take long enough to get to all your lectures as it is, and it certainly won't help you to shoot the breeze with me."

Tamaki raised a brow. "Are you alright, Kyoya? You're being awfully curt. More curt than usual."

They continued walking, but Kyoya sighed deeply and pinched the area between his eyes. "I apologize, it's been one hell of a day so far. I was up late studying for an exam that my professor postponed until next week. As I was about to drink my coffee this morning, an errand boy from Admissions slapped me on the back and requested that I give a tour to a group of rising freshmen." He shook his shoulder to wiggle a name tag attached to his coat.

Tamaki moved his face closer to the tag and read aloud, "'Ouran University Tour Guide - sophomore Otori Kyoya'."

"Apparently they're shorthanded on volunteers," he continued, "and have begun asking some students to give tours for the next few weeks."

The blonde drew back in shock. "They asked you?! Why didn't that ask me, too?! I am a natural showman and practical encyclopedia of all things Ouran!"

"Please, you couldn't find our dorm without my help. Regardless of which of us actually wants to do this tour, they assigned it to me. I have the rest of the afternoon free anyway, and your lecture starts in..." Kyoya took a quick glance at his watch. "Ten minutes."

"If the Admissions office is short of volunteers, I would be more than pleased to offer my services to them this afternoon as well!" Out of the corner of his eye, Kyoya saw Tamaki puff his chest and point to the sky in a valiant fashion.

"You just don't want to go to your lecture."

Kyoya smirked as Tamaki's ego deflated like a balloon.

"Are you saying that I, Suou Tamaki, one of the finest and purest gentlemen at Ouran, would do anything besides the noble thing? Especially to a group of innocent high schoolers?" He wiped away a tear from his large violet eyes. "Kyoya, I'm hurt that you would think so little of me."

Kyoya heaved a sigh.

_I really don't need this right now._

"Fine, fine, do whatever you want. But don't blame me when you fail an exam."

Kyoya picked up his pace when Tamaki began jumping and hollering for joy, leaving him to celebrate in his dust.

xxx

Half an hour or so had passed since Haruhi's abduction, and the senior trio were still sitting in the back of the limousine, the twins chatting with her as if they didn't commit a kidnapping.

"Y'know Haruhi," Hikaru said, twirling a strand of her chestnut locks between his fingers, "As much as I love the pixie cut, you should let your hair grow out again, like you had it in middle school. At least for college."

Looking at the bangs that fell into her vision, she hummed in thought. "You think so? It's so much easier to manage this way."

Kaoru, who was sitting at the other side of her, grinned broadly. "Haruhi is nothing if not efficient!"

"Even so," she told them, brushing her hair out of her face, "I have actually been think about doing that. Normally I don't care about how I look, but that seems like a change I could handle."

"Speaking of changing," Hikaru took note of her long champagne-colored uniform dress. "Are you gonna put on those casual clothes we brought for you? This is a tour, not a school function."

"Yeah, Haruhi," the other twin perked up, holding the neatly folded clothes in question. "Our mom had them sized especially for you. She even threw in matching shoes!"

"Doesn't Ouran University have a uniform also? Our guides will probably be wearing their uniforms, so what does it matter if we wear ours?"

"Who really wants to wear these stuffy uniforms all afternoon?" Hikaru said, pulling at the sleeve of Haruhi's dress before he was swatted away by her hand.

"Won't it look better for our school if we wore their uniforms? You know, kind of like a 'team'?"

"Trying not to look like high school kids anymore, Haruhi. This is a new world, and we can't walk in there all holding hands so we don't get lost." Kaoru answered tonelessly. "Why don't you just put it on?"

She flicked the sides of the twins' heads with her fingers. "I would have put them on at the school if you guys didn't literally drag me to your limo. Morons."

"As if we would have let you out of our sight for a minute!" Hikaru exclaimed, rubbing the side of his temple. "Too many opportunities to escape from us."

_These two are clever enough to actually pull off a real kidnapping. Maybe they should get lessons from Kasanoda-kun and become gangsters._

"Then the clothes will have to wait until we get to Ouran U. I won't change in front of you two." she said curtly.

"Aw, c'mon Haruhi," the two whined together. "We won't peek!"

"It's just your underwear, it isn't a big deal. We've seen you in a two-piece swimsuit before, and that's pretty much the same thing." Kaoru argued, poking the pile of clothes at Haruhi's shoulder.

Hikaru grinned wickedly. "That was a good summer."

"Shut up, Hikaru," Haruhi snapped, "And it doesn't matter how long we've known each other and how little clothing you've seen me in. I am not some shameless girl that undresses in front of a couple of guys just because they're my best friends."

"Are you implying that we're shameless just because we change in front of you?" Kaoru countered.

"And what about all those times you came to our house to bring us food late at night?" Hikaru chimed in. "You know we don't sleep with our shirts on!"

"Correction: You two have never changed entirely in front of me. All those times you changed were just your shirts, and I hardly think that counts as taboo to see two guys shirtless."

"This is ridiculous." Kaoru whined, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"I don't make the rules of what's taboo or not, I just follow them." Haruhi crossed her arms and stared the twins down. "I'm going to change at Ouran, and that is final."

They dropped their heads in annoyance, but they knew better than to push this issue any further. When Haruhi puts her foot down on an argument, she will never take no for an answer.

Especially in this case, since the twins had no idea that Haruhi was wearing a thong. Her inner conscious hung her head in embarrassment, but Kaoru was right: Haruhi was nothing if not efficient, and while the twins would never know this, she normally favored thongs since they never leave unsightly panty lines in the back of her uniform dress.

She also knew the twins well enough to guess that they would attempt to sneak a peek at her changing, and she decided a long time ago that both Hikaru and Kaoru would be the last people in the world to see her ass in a thong.

xxx

"Tamaki, if you do not calm down I will slap you in the face."

Kyoya and Tamaki were posted at the grand entrance to the university, waiting patiently (some more than others) for the freshmen to arrive. As his friend began bouncing on the balls of his feet, Kyoya began reviewing the profiles of the students that would be included in the tour.

"How many students will be on this tour? Is it a whole class? A school? Do you think we'll know any of them from our academy days?"

Without looking up from his notebook, Kyoya replied, "This is a private tour, so only four students will be joining us. We won't know any of them personally, but as if by chance, the two rising freshmen that we've been trying to recruit for the Escort Club will be here: Hikaru and Kaoru, the sons of the famous designer Hitachiin Yuzuha. While it says they intend to major in business, I believe they will begin searching for extra-curricular groups that suit their artistic passions."

"Oho, excellent!" Tamaki exclaimed, a cunning gleam shining in his eyes. "This will give us the perfect opportunity to persuade them to become Escorts!"

"No can do, Tamaki. They will be here for a private tour of Ouran U., not to hear about the finer points of the Escort Club. I've already looked into it, and while we are not technically tour guides, we aren't allowed to persuade potential students to engage in a specific group activity unless they show interest."

"So... unless they ask about the Escort Club, we can't talk them into joining?"

"At least not while we're giving them the tour. I suggest that we take the group out for coffee after the tour; that way, we won't technically be giving them the tour and we can persuade them to join while they're on campus with us."

Tamaki quickly grabbed his friend by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. "Kyoya! Once again, I am simply speechless by your utter brilliance!"

Kyoya smirked and shoved Tamaki out of his personal space with a quick push. "Apparently not speechless enough."

Tamaki stumbled back, still smiling and laughing. As aggressively enthusiastic as his best friend was, compared to his own cool demeanor, there were many occasions in which he appreciated this about Tamaki. It was never a dull moment with him, even as they waited for something as dull as leading a campus tour.

"Who will our other two guests be?" The blonde said, peering at Kyoya's notebook.

"Two young ladies, both from the same academy as the twins: Houshakuji Renge and..." Kyoya moved a few papers around. "Fujioka Haruhi, the famous honor student.

The Houshakuji family has done business with my family for many years, so it was to be expected that Miss Renge would be attending the same school as me so that we could become better acquainted as future business partners. She intends to study business, same as the twins, and is known to be quite the otaku. Therefore, her club interests may hover around the anime or cosplay clubs. She won't be arriving at the same time as everyone else, so someone will have to wait on her."

"Very interesting." Tamaki said thoughtfully, reading the profiles of the students over Kyoya's shoulder. "And the honor student?"

"Ah, yes, this one is very..." Kyoya trailed off to find the right word. "Intriguing. Fujioka Haruhi is known very well to be a middle-class citizen that maintained an academic scholarship to attend her prestigious academy, provided that her grades stay at the top of the class at all times. I believe she intends to pay for Ouran University in the same manner, and it wouldn't surprise me if she was able to do so.

According to her profile, she intends to study law and eventually become a lawyer. She doesn't have much interest in any clubs, but I wouldn't push that on her too much. If she wishes to attend here, she will need a lot of time to study, and it would be best not to deprive her of that time-"

"Oy!" Tamaki interrupted, dramatically pointing to a photo attached to Fujioka's file. "Kyoya, is this her picture in the corner?"

While Kyoya did know that her picture was there, he didn't fully examine it, only taking note of distinct details such as her short hair to tell her apart from Renge. It was only until Tamaki pointed it out again that he made notes of the photo as a whole: it was a simple class photo, probably taken during a picture day, so any part of her body below her chest was not visible, donned in the same champagne-colored uniform dress as Renge in her profile photo. Kyoya noticed her pixie-cut hair, somehow messy and neat at the same time. Her large and chocolate-colored eyes looked directly at him (or, rather, the camera), but despite her smile in the photo, he saw a distant but indistinguishable emotion in them.

"Yes, that would be her."

_Not a bad looker, for a commoner._

Tamaki cheeks blushed bright pink, either due to the prettiness of the girl or that Tamaki was smiling too much from looking at her picture. "Ah, she's really quite cute, isn't she?"

Kyoya snapped his book shut and whacked Tamaki over the head. "Keep it together. A limo is pulling around now."

xxx

A glorious stone arch marked the entrance to the university, the grand letters of 'Ouran University' carved into the work, a high black steel fence attached to the arch and disappearing into the trees that surrounded the perimeter of the school. The walkways under the arch were separated by long and narrow gardens that looked very well cared for. Standing at the walkways that led to the carpool lane were two young men, one with messy blonde hair and the other with sleek black hair and glasses.

"No way!"

"It can't be..."

"That has to be him, alright!"

"What about the one with the glasses, who would that be?"

Haruhi was still sitting in the very back of the limo, watching the twins as they clamored over one another to catch a first-look at the tour guides through the windows.

"Who are you two talking about?" Haruhi asked, looking out her own window.

Hikaru pointed out his window, his voice laced with disbelief. "That blonde guy right there: That is Suou Tamaki!"

Haruhi's eyes widened. "The guy that's been emailing you since last winter?"

The twins exchanged looks to one another, and after a moment, they began to grin diabolically. "Yes, yes it is, Haruhi." They said in perfect unison, putting their gaze back at the man in question.

A cold chill ran down Haruhi's spine; she knew that look, and could recognize the evil in their voice. Suou Tamaki would soon come to recognize the devilish nature of her best friends, and spoke a quick prayer for him.

The limousine slowed to a stop in front of the entrance, and seconds later the car door swung open. "Masters Hikaru and Kaoru, and Miss Haruhi." The driver announced formally, the trio filing out of the car in the order they were called upon.

"Thank you, driver," the twins said to the man politely. "We will call on you to pick us up in a few hours."

The man recognized as Tamaki opened his arms with a flourish, "What a fine group of young people! Allow me to begin the introductions: I am Suou Tamaki, and this," he gestured to the speckled man beside him, "is my friend Otori Kyoya"

The one now recognized at Kyoya smiled amiably at the three. "Let us be the first to welcome you to Ouran University."

Hikaru and Kaoru moved toward them first, exchanging handshakes with the two. "A pleasure to be here," they said, only the most minute amount of mischief in their voice that Haruhi could recognize. They could be some very convincing actors, but she could always read through them.

Before she could realize it, someone had taken a hold of her hand and held it gently between their own hands. "You must be the honor student, Fujioka Haruhi." Tamaki said, every word he spoke dripping with charm. "What an absolute pleasure to meet you. And might I say that you really are a lovely young lady." He stared deeply into her eyes, a common cliche that women are known to fall for.

Kaoru dropped his hand on his brother's shoulder, holding him back before he could pounce at Tamaki.

Haruhi bowed her head and smiled. "Thank you," she said simply, much to the surprise of Tamaki and Kyoya, but much to the pride of the twins. Pulling back her hand, she gestured to the twins and said, "As you may have guessed, we're here for a tour."

Kyoya pushed the frame of his glasses up the bridge of his nose, seemingly pleased with her response. "How professional of you, Fujioka-san. Well, where would you like to start?"

xxx

I'm sorry this update took so long.

This chapter was meant to be much longer, but I didn't really know when to start and stop with chapters. I have an idea now, but I would like some feedback on how short or long you all prefer these chapters be.  
If you decide on short-ish chapters like this, updates may come in sporadically, but frequently. There would be a lot of chapters in the future, so navigation through the story may be simpler.  
If you decide on longer chapters, updates may take a little longer, but there would be fewer chapters and more to read in one sitting.

It's entirely up to you, my lovely readers. We'll get to the really good stuff in the next chapter, so stay tuned.

the midnight minstrel


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